1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an electronic watermark generating apparatus, an electronic watermark generating method and a memory medium storing an electronic watermark generating program, and more particularly to an electronic watermark or a digital watermark applicable to multimedia data consisting of image data, moving image data, audio data or a combination thereof or to an output print of such data and adapted to transmit a concealed signal for indicating the copyright of the author, detecting the violation of the copyright by tampering of the copyright work, and verifying the authenticity of such copyright work or the print thereof.
2. Related Background Art
In conventional application of the electronic watermark to the digital data, the electronic watermark information is secondarily attached to the digital data in the form of general image, moving image or audio data. Therefore, when the author of the data is preparing the original digital data, it is not possible to arbitrarily designate the position of such addition or the information to be attached as the watermark.
Also the conventional electronic watermark consists of attaching invariable information in fixed manner to the already completed digital data, and there has not been conceived a process of dynamic addition, to the data information varying from time to time at the utilization of data, of the electronic watermark information matching the situation of such data information.
It is therefore not possible to set the electronic watermark in a position considered appropriate by the designing person, in the conventional method of setting the electronic watermark in a specified area of the digital data, and in a situation where a portion of the data is judged to be of higher importance.
It is also not possible, in the utilization of the digital data after the preparation thereof, to arbitrarily generate the appropriate electronic watermark in automatic manner and to attach such electronic watermark to the digital data.
In consideration of the foregoing, a first object of the present invention is, in a situation where, in the course of preparation of original digital data, there exists a portion considered of higher importance, to enable the designing person to set the electronic watermark in an arbitrary position considered appropriate by the designing person.
A second object of the present invention is to enable generation from time to time of the appropriate electronic watermark and attachment thereof to the digital data, according to the situation of the use thereof.
A third object of the present invention is to enable display and reproduction of a field portion to be complemented afterwards by the additional data, and to enable generation and addition of the electronic watermark to the digital data even in a situation where such digital data are used after the preparation thereof.
The electronic watermark generating apparatus of the present invention comprises setting the information to be added as the electronic watermark and the area data of such electronic watermark, also displaying or reproducing the digital data to which the electronic watermark is to be added, adding the electronic watermark to thus displayed or reproduced digital data and displaying or reproducing the digital data in which the electronic watermark is added.
The electronic watermark generating apparatus of the present invention, being adapted to generate electronic watermark, comprises input means for setting and entering information to be added as the electronic watermark, area data preparation means for setting and preparing the area data of the electronic watermark, first display/reproduction means for displaying or reproducing the digital data in which the electronic watermark is to be applied, electronic watermark addition means for adding the electronic watermark to the digital data, and second display/reproduction means for displaying or reproducing the digital data to which the electronic watermark is added.
The electronic watermark generation apparatus of the present invention is further featured by a fact that the second display/reproduction means for displaying or reproducing the digital data is adapted to also display or reproduce the field portion to be complemented afterwards by the additional data.
The electronic watermark generation apparatus of the present invention is further featured by a fact that the above-mentioned field portion to be complemented by the additional data is adapted to generate the electronic watermark information based on the content of the above-mentioned additional data.
The electronic watermark generating method of the present invention comprises setting the information to be added as the electronic watermark and the area data of such electronic watermark, also displaying or reproducing the digital data to which the electronic watermark is to be added, adding the electronic watermark to thus displayed or reproduced digital data and displaying or reproducing the digital data in which the electronic watermark is added.
The electronic watermark generating method of the present invention, being adapted to generate electronic watermark, comprises an input step of setting and entering information to be added as the electronic watermark, a step of setting and preparing the area data of the electronic watermark, a step of displaying or reproducing the digital data in which the electronic watermark is to be applied, a step of adding the electronic watermark to the digital data, and a step of displaying or reproducing the digital data to which the electronic watermark is added.
The electronic watermark generation method of the present invention is further featured by a fact that the second display/reproduction step of displaying or reproducing the digital data is adapted to also display or reproduce the field portion to be complemented afterwards by the additional data.
The electronic watermark generation method of the present invention is further featured by a fact that the above-mentioned field portion to be complemented by the additional data is adapted to generate the electronic watermark information based on the content of the above-mentioned additional data.
The memory medium of the present invention comprises storing, in a computer readable manner, a program for causing a computer to function as means constituting the above-mentioned electronic watermark generating apparatus.
The memory medium of the present invention comprises storing, in a computer readable manner, a program for causing a computer to execute the steps of the above-mentioned electronic watermark generating method.
Still other objects of the present invention, and the features thereof, will become fully apparent from the following description which is to be taken in conjunction with the attached drawings.